Darkstone Code

Chapter 1120 - 1118: Anti-Aircraft Gun

In a mountainside castle, a group of warlords sat together in a true meeting for the first time.

Invited by the warlord currently wielding the greatest power, the other warlords gathered in his castle to discuss Mariluo’s future and its path forward.

What was uncertain, whether to laugh or feel pity for, was that the Grand President of the Mariluo Government was not present, as the puppet government no longer even possessed the qualification to "care about the nation’s future."

The reason these warlords, each bearing various grievances against one another, were able to sit here was simple: the attitude of the Federation people and the pressure they brought.

Everyone’s face looked displeased, their severe or indifferent stares wavered back and forth among each other, and the atmosphere inside the room was oppressive to the extreme.

Outside the castle was no different; people of different factions glared at each other disdainfully, and if not for considering that they were on someone else’s turf, they might have started fighting already.

With the arrival of the inviter, the murderous atmosphere in the room seemed to find an outlet. A Mariluo man walked in.

He was one of the most powerful warlords in Mariluo, rumored to have royal blood flowing through his veins, which was why his power was greatest and his strength unmatched.

He possessed the wealth left by the Imperial Family, allowing him to focus on spending money while other warlords sought economic sources.

This gave him a significant lead over others, and many within Mariluo believed that if anyone could end this tumultuous era, it was likely this Grand Warlord.

He was in his fifties, dressed in Mariluo military attire, and as he entered, everyone stood up to show respect—mainly because they were on his turf; you might not respect the host here, but you had to be responsible for your own life.

"Please sit...," after he sat down, the others followed suit.

Once everyone was seated, there was a pause of about ten seconds before he spoke, "The reason I’ve invited you all here is simple—it’s because of the Federation Sol."

"Spring planting is not just in spring; it is also our faith and custom. Yet, the Federation people do not respect our faith, our customs, or adhere to our rules."

"This is not the first time, and it certainly won’t be the last. I believe they have never intended to respect us."

"If we continue to yield, none of us know to what extent they will encroach."

After the Grand Warlord finished speaking, the others nodded in agreement; Sanchez’s side had experienced similar situations, where the Federation expanded irrationally.

Together, the few warlords pressured the Federation, and although they did not inflict severe damage, they demonstrated their resolve to the Federation.

Under their determination, the Federation chose to give up on expanding from the eastern front and instead expanded from the western front.

And now, the expansion was extremely rapid and aggressive in momentum.

This made everyone consider whether to apply some pressure on the Federation again, at least to make them understand that if they continued expanding without any scruples, they would trigger opposition across all Mariluo!

Mariluo, no matter how it was, how it is, or how it will be, has always been for Mariluo and the Mariluo people.

They can do anything here, but that doesn’t mean the Federation people can too.

In fact, these Grand Warlords are very clear that if they let the Federation people meddle excessively in their affairs here, it won’t be long before they are no longer satisfied with minor "benefits," they will definitely want more!

The warlords also clearly understand that they might not be a match for the Federation people, but they have to show their stance.

What Mariluo fears the least is a civil war, unless the Federation can kill everyone here; otherwise, they will never accept the Federation’s rule!

"Do we have any way to deal with those planes?"

The term "plane" entered the warlords’ view after the first bombing, and they learned about the term "plane" and the destructive force it represented in various ways.

The Grand Warlord nodded, "I have received help from some friends; they sent me some items..."

Saying this, he had someone bring in a weapon no one had ever seen before into the room.

It somewhat resembled a twin-barreled cannon, but much more compact; the warlords did not know how to describe it, just that it was very special.

Just then, a foreigner walked in.

He was identified as a foreigner because his hair and eye color did not belong to either the Mariluo or Mariluo people, and everyone looked at him.

"Gentlemen, good evening. I am a representative of Purple Orchid Industry, the manufacturer of this anti-aircraft gun."

The warlords looked puzzled at the Grand Warlord; they initially thought this was about banding together to resist the Federation and applying pressure to them. They did not expect a foreign power to be involved.

For a moment, everyone remained silent, unsure if they should say something or how to express themselves.

The Grand Warlord seemed to understand these people’s mental dynamics; he smiled, took out a Kleve, and after having a servant cut it, bit it between his teeth, "Purple Orchid Industry is the most advanced military equipment manufacturer in... country."

"To deal with the Federation people, the first thing we need to deal with is their planes, as their planes have too big an impact on us."

"If we can prevent Federation human planes from daring to fly over the battlefield, we will bring both sides back to a level playing field."

"I also believe that without the interference of planes, the Federation people might not be a match for us!"

The country he mentioned was an inconspicuous small country, with neither the capability nor the strength to interfere with Mariluo’s internal affairs, which gave everyone a sigh of relief.

They were only worried that the Grand Warlord might collude with some major power, like Gafura.

That would be a disaster for them.

But a small, inconspicuous country, who cares?

Whether they can send thousands of people here is unknown, let alone interfere with their internal matters.

With such underlying understanding, everyone’s expressions relaxed considerably, and someone couldn’t help but ask, "Can it really deal with planes?"

The military industry representative smiled and sat on a simple chair, as he sat, the almost horizontal cannon barrel suddenly lifted towards the sky.

He quickly adjusted the direction and angle of the sight by turning some handles, "On the left is a joystick that can quickly rotate the anti-aircraft gun base and also quickly adjust the barrel’s vertical angle."

"The right hand’s single turn adjustment angle and distance are about one-fifth of the left side, meant for more detailed adjustments."

"We’ve adopted the latest twin 22mm automatic cannons, each supplying 160 rounds..."

He explained the specifications of the anti-aircraft gun in detail; to prove its effectiveness against planes, the representative even listed the Federation’s current bomber specifications.

In short, once they used their anti-aircraft cannon, the Federation’s planes could no longer fly in and out as they pleased like now.

The Grand Warlord might have seen the warlords’ interest in their eyes; he invited everyone to his castle courtyard, where there were two more anti-aircraft guns.

Subsequently, with the representative’s guidance, they released two target drones.

The drones were shot down shortly after taking off; people watched with amazement, each of their eyes glistening!

In fact, they’re not afraid of the Federation’s army or the Darkstone Security employees; they truly fear those planes.

They have no means to prevent the planes, putting them at a constant disadvantage.

If they could counter the Federation’s planes... Then why should they fear the Federation?

Soon, these warlords not only operated the anti-aircraft guns themselves but also let their accompanying officers try them out.

Though it was their first time encountering such a thing, they quickly adapted to the operation.

Purple Orchid Industry’s design was very user-friendly; it was not controlled by a trigger but by a foot pedal.

This kind of shooting allowed them to fire while aiming, without needing to aim first and then shoot.

Coupled with the representative’s explanation, people became very interested in this anti-aircraft gun.

"So... how much does it cost?" one of the warlords couldn’t help but ask, and everyone fell silent.

The equipment might be good, but if it’s too expensive, they might not be willing to buy it.

The Grand Warlord looked at the Purple Orchid Industry representative, who then quoted an unexpectedly low figure.

"It only costs 19,999 Fla..." The representative hesitated, realizing they were adjacent to the Federation, where people habitually used Federation Sol for transactions.

He quickly calculated in his head, quoting again, "Approximately 31,000 to 32,000 Federation Sol."

The price was very low, and the warlords all breathed a sigh of relief; the first warlord to inquire waved his hand, "I’ll take twenty... no, thirty. What about its ammunition?"

"Thirty dollars a round!"

"That’s a bit expensive," the warlord frowned, thinking it would only cost a few dollars (Federation Sol) per round.

The military representative explained how the shells for automatic cannons might not seem much larger than bullets, but that doesn’t mean their technical content and manufacturing difficulty are the same.

The potential threat posed by planes suppressed the warlords’ dissatisfaction with the price. Quickly, each warlord ordered at least ten units, some even buying fifty; it was a successful sale.

In fact, no one knew that behind Purple Orchid Industry were the Gafura people.

They had not yet obtained accurate bomber specifications, nor had they acquired real machines, which left them